By JOE GORDEN
The educational program that last year enabled North Star Middle School students to raise and stock trout from their classroom expanded this year and is doing well, according to the woman who heads the project.
Melissa Reckner, program director of the Kiski-Conemaugh Stream Team, has acted as volunteer coordinator of the Trout in the Classroom project since its inception in this area last year at North Star. Now, Berlin Brothersvalley High School has also joined the fold.
“I love these projects,” Reckner said. “This has kind of turned into a pet project for me. I would like to see it continue, not only at these two schools, but at others throughout the region.”
The projects involve setting up large aquariums and the necessary equipment to operate them in a participating classroom. The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission provides trout eggs. When the eggs hatch, students care for the young fish and eventually stock them into public waters.
Eva Strang’s Grade 6 science class got a late start last year, so the project began with 102 trout fry. By the time the school year ended, 43 remained to be released in the nearby Stonycreek River.
At Berlin, the project is conducted in Dan Miller’s science classroom, where students from grades 9 through 12 participate.
This year, both schools started on time with eggs.
“They estimate that they gave each school 300-350 eggs,” Reckner said. “At North Star, I think we had less because, on arrival, at least 40 eggs were dead. But, that’s to be expected. Some eggs just never hatch, and some fry never survive past the yolk-sac stage. At North Star, we now have about 80 fish surviving.”
Things did not initially go as well at Berlin, where a power failure during Christmas break allowed the temperature of the tank to reach fatal levels, killing all the hatchlings. But, Reckner made another trip to the fish hatchery in State College for replacements.
“We started off in January with 227 fry, and we have about 200 of those left,” she said.
That’s a great survival rate – perhaps too good, Reckner said, because, as the fish grow, they will exceed the capacity of the 55-gallon aquariums used in the program.
One indication that a tank contains too many fish is an unhealthy increase of ammonia in the water.
“All of the schools have been reporting that their mortality rates have been great this year,” she said. “But, a lot of schools have been struggling with ammonia levels. There is a good chance, especially at Berlin, that we will have to do two stockings. We may have to do one in March to reduce the number of trout we’re raising.”
Trout in the Classroom came to Pennsylvania in six schools last year as a collaboration between Pennsylvania Trout – the state chapter of Trout Unlimited – and the fish commission. The two provide grants to pay half the cost of necessary equipment. Schools must find local organizations to pay for the other half.
The Mountain Laurel Chapter of Trout Unlimited helped North Star get started, while the New Baltimore Sportsmen’s Club came through at Berlin.
The Jenner Rod and Gun Club provided funds this year for additional equipment that allowed the program to continue at North Star.
“It’s a good partnership,” Reckner said. “It seems to be catching on across the state. I expect more schools to do it. They received 27 applications this year, but could only award 13. But, some schools have been able to raise the funds through other sources to implement a project, so there are probably many more across the state now.”
Reckner said the program has been invaluable as an educational tool, both because of the hands-on experience it gives students and because it opens to door to additional outside environmental instruction.
“The kids are excited about it,” she said. “And now that the fish are a little larger and we can expose them to light, the Stream Team will be going into the classrooms with some programs to expand on what they are learning through care and maintenance.”
